All of Me
by thekerser
Summary: Ted is coming back to New York, his marriage is in shambles, but can he repair his relationship with Peggy? - Ted/Peggy, Peggy/Don (I own nothing, all characters belong to Matthew Weiner.)
1. Chapter 1

The office had cleared out after the merger meeting, but Peggy knew Don would still be around. She stood outside the door of Don's office, collecting her thoughts. Peggy cleared her throat and Don turned, cocking his head to the side. "Are congratulations in order?" she asked.

Don smiled and shrugged. "Hard to say. Roger seems to feel that way. I guess with Ted back in the office he might be able to rein Cutler in…" Don stopped short of finishing his thought when he saw Peggy recoil at Ted's name. He stood up and moved to make a drink. "For you?"

"Yes," Peggy huffed as she flopped down in a chair across from Don's desk.

Don poured two whiskeys and handed one glass to Peggy, lingering next to her as she took a sip. "You're going to have to talk to him eventually," Don said matter-of-factly.

Peggy looked down at her lap, tapping her fingers against the glass. "There really isn't much to say. And how closely will we really be working together?" Peggy looked up as Don leaned back against his desk.

"You'll end up sharing a title. I'm hugely confident that you won't be able to continue avoiding him. At least just break the tension for the rest of us. It's painful to be in the same state as you two." Don looked toward the door and noticed Ted lingering outside. "Ted."

Peggy sat, staring ahead to avoid turning around and meeting Ted's gaze.

The trio sat in an uncomfortable silence until Ted spoke first. "Doesn't sound like Lou's going to be sticking around. Can you help me figure out what he was working on?"

Don couldn't help smiling at the news. "Of course. And I'm sure Peggy can help us with that, too."

Peggy offered a non-committal nod and took another sip of her drink.

"Excellent. It will be good to be back in the office again." Ted turned and left as Don walked behind his desk and sat down.

"Peggy…" Don started.

She snapped her head up. "Please don't. I'm not ready to deal with that right now." Peggy looked away from Don's intense stare.

"Look, I don't know what happened, I think I can probably guess, but you don't have time left to run from your problem." Don nearly spit out his drink as Peggy stood up and snapped back at him.

"Me? You think I'm running from my problems? He's the one who moved 3,000 miles away just to get away from me," she yelled, gesturing toward the door. "And you're the one who let him." Peggy poured herself another drink and downed it, slamming her glass onto Don's desk. "It's not fair that the two of you get to make all of these decisions and I don't get say in anything, but I'm the one who is supposed to fix it. I'm tired of cleaning up everyone else's mistakes."

Don laughed. "Then you're in the wrong business." Peggy shot him a glare. "If you love him, you have two options: get over it or do something about it. That's all that's available to you. I mean Jesus, Peggy. You're miserable, he's miserable. And I'm sick and tired of putting up with your attitude about it and his jack-assed moves with clients." Peggy raised an eyebrow. "I know, I don't have much room to talk." Don stood and walked over to Peggy, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm having dinner with Roger, Pete and Ted at the Waldorf tonight. You should stop by. I'll buy you a drink after."

Peggy looked up at Don. "You assume I have nothing better to do."

"If takeout Chinese with your cat is more your style…"

Don smirked as Peggy turned and walked out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Ted sat on his bed, still holding the phone in his hands. The din of the operator was drowned out by his pounding heart. He had just ended his marriage. He hadn't expected to, if anything, he thought Nan would be the one to end it. She certainly would have been well within her right. But when he called to tell her about the merger, and the move back to New York, he instantly knew it wasn't going to work anymore. He couldn't keep dragging the kids around, and he couldn't keep her in a one-sided marriage. He had told her that exactly and she seemed to agree and understand.

They decided to discuss the details later. He was sure the boys would be devastated, but he had forgotten how to be a good father when he was so unhappy with the rest of his life.

Nan told him that she knew about Peggy, that she knew that was why they moved to California in the first place, that she knew that was why he had been so distant, and that she was sure that was why he agreed to move back to New York. He assured her on the latter that it was Don who had encouraged him that the move was the best decision.

Ted looked at his watch and stood up, hanging up the phone. He was due to meet Don and Roger fifteen minutes ago. He went into the bathroom and splashed some water onto his face, contemplating everything in the mirror. He didn't know if he was making a mistake coming back to New York, but he knew he couldn't stay in L.A. Not with Nan, certainly not with Pete. This would have to suffice until he could figure something else out.

* * *

Roger looked down at his watch. "You'd think that when you give a guy an enormous payday he could give you the courtesy of being on time."

Don smiled, reflecting on his conversation with Peggy. "Maybe he found something better to do."

Pete opened his mouth to make a smart comment about Ted's mental state, but stopped short when he saw Peggy walking across the lobby toward the bar. It would have been hard to miss her. The dark blue dress she was wearing fell mid-thigh, and the top plunged so low he was certain she'd fall out of it.

Don and Roger followed Pete's gaze. "She certainly cleans up well. Is she making money on the side as an escort?" Roger joked.

"Do you think she's here to meet someone?" Pete asked, leaning further back in his chair for a better view.

"Settle down Pete, I'm pretty sure that ship has sailed," Don said, shooting Pete a glance and letting him know that he was well aware of their history. Pete swallowed and looked down into his drink.

"Sorry, family matters." Ted said as he arrived at the table. He pulled out his chair and signaled the waiter, ordering an Old Fashioned.

Don glanced back at Peggy at the bar. She was talking to the man who sat down next to her and, from the looks of it, had just ordered her a drink. Pete watched Don and cleared his throat to get him to focus on the conversation.

"With Lou out, Don can move back into his office," Roger said. "We can put Ted back into his old office. The real issue here is what to do with the two of you and Peggy." Ted's head snapped up.

"Meaning what?" Ted asked.

"Meaning, I now have two partners who basically agreed to work under her."

Pete couldn't hide his snicker. "I'm sure at least one of them won't complain about that."

"I don't think Peggy should have to suffer for the decision we made," Don spoke up, glancing at Pete. "Leave her where she is."

"And what? Let you be in charge? What about Ted?" Roger looked over as Ted finished his drink and signaled for another.

"Ted can share her title," Don offered. "They can split accounts. It's what Ted said he wanted to do anyway during the partner meeting. He wants to do creative. Right?"

Ted nodded.

Don tuned out Roger's thoughts on the merger to again look over at Peggy, who was now flirting with the man at the bar. He glanced over at Ted and realized that he had spotted her.


	3. Chapter 3

Peggy was only vaguely aware of what her companion at the bar was saying. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing there anyway. When Don extended the invitation of a drink, Peggy hadn't planned to come. But when she got home and looked around at her empty apartment, she decided that going out was probably a better idea. The dress was more a product of the fact that she hadn't been home long enough to do laundry in weeks, and less about the possibility of running into Ted. But now that she was there and had caught Ted staring at her out of the corner of her eye, she knew she made the right decision. When she saw Ted getting up from the table, she reached over to her companion and set her hand on his arm, letting him know how engaged she was in whatever he was saying. Ted stopped short of walking into the bar, and instead turned toward the elevators. Peggy dropped her hand back into her lap, and looked away, distracted.

"What do you think?" the man at the bar asked.

"Hmm?" Peggy asked, staring off in Ted's direction.

"Do you want another drink?"

"Oh no, I'm actually here to meet someone. I should probably go see…" Peggy trailed off when she felt Don's hand on her shoulder.

"Should we grab a table?" Don said, glancing at Peggy's companion.

Peggy stood up, pulling at her dress and gathering her purse. "Yes." She turned toward the man, pulling money out of her purse. "Here. Thank you for the company." Peggy set the money down and stepped in front of Don, walking to a small, quiet booth in the back of the bar.

Don signaled the waiter and ordered drinks. They sat in silence for a moment, each not quite sure of what to say.

"I think Ted's wife is leaving him," Don suddenly said.

Peggy pursed her lips. "What makes you think that?"

"I've been in a lot of relationships, Peggy. I've been in his shoes, I've made the same faces that he did tonight."

Peggy sighed. "It doesn't really matter to me. I've been thinking about it a lot tonight, and I don't think I can go back to…I don't know that I want to…" Peggy shrugged and sipped her drink.

"I don't believe that," Don offered. "I think that you're hurt right now….still. I think that you're angry, and you don't know if it's at yourself or at him. But I don't think that your feelings, whatever they were, have changed."

Peggy contemplated her drink for a moment, swirling the liquid in the glass. "He told me he was going to leave his wife for me."

Don chuckled and shook his head, leaning back into the booth. "They all do."

She had to laugh—he was right. What made her think that Ted was actually going to leave his safe, comfortable marriage for her? When she looked back up, Don was staring at her inquisitively. Peggy took a deep breath and made the decision to tell him everything. How she had feelings for Ted, how Ted had kissed her in his office, how they'd both tried to move on, how devastated she was when he wasn't there after Abe broke up with her in the back of an ambulance, and how he finally showed up at her door late one night.

Don listened, nodding, and when she finished he asked, "Did you love him?"

Peggy nodded, slowly. "It was stupid, I know."

Don reached across the table, setting his hands on top of Peggy's. "We don't get to choose who we fall in love with, just as much as we're not in control of whether we get to wake up tomorrow morning." Peggy looked up and met Don's eyes. "Believe me, Peggy. Life is short, and cruel, and unforgiving, and the only thing that we have to keep our heads above water is love, or the thing that we've been led to believe is love. Without it, without these feelings and desires, we're just sad, cynical shells of human beings, waiting for the day when we either find someone or die."

Peggy sat silently, taking in Don's words. Unbeknownst to either of them, Ted had appeared at the back of the bar. He watched as Don reached out and touched Peggy's hand, watched how intently Don looked at her as he spoke.

When he first met Peggy, she was so fed up with Don it never occurred to Ted that they might have some deeper relationship, some history. He wasn't immune to the rumors he had heard years ago that Don had fathered Peggy's child, that she had slept her way to where she is today, but Ted never felt comfortable addressing the issue with Peggy.

As he stood there, observing their seemingly intimate moment, Ted realized just how far he had fallen, how many mistakes he had made, and how alone he was. He had pushed everyone out of his life—his wife, his kids, his friends, Peggy. He wanted to go back and start over with her, to spend the night in her apartment and take her to Hawaii for Christmas. But more than anything, he just wanted to hold her and apologize for all the hurt he had caused.


	4. Chapter 4

"Morning, chief," Stan said as Peggy walked into the kitchen and picked up a cup of coffee.

Peggy hadn't expected anyone to be in the office on a Saturday morning. "What are you doing here?" She winced as her head pounded at the sound of her voice.

"I'd ask you the same, but instead I think I'll just ask what the illustrious Peggy Olsen was doing last night that she's in the office in what can only be described as a…." he trailed off as Peggy walked toward her office.

Stan followed behind. "Come on, you have to let me have a little fun." Stan's last word was punctuated by Peggy slamming her door in his face.

She looked at the clothes hanging on the back of her door and quickly stripped out of her dress from the previous night, replacing it with a skirt and blouse. She tossed the dress into the bottom drawer of her desk and kicked it closed. Peggy stood for a moment, hands on her hips, thinking about what to do next. After they left the bar at the Waldorf, Don offered Peggy a nightcap back at his apartment, which was followed by him offering up his bed for her to sleep in. She couldn't resist the latter; she certainly didn't want to head back into her neighborhood alone at 3 a.m. Besides, Don's bed was far more comfortable than hers and it didn't come with any memories that would keep her awake.

When she woke up, she found Don asleep on the couch, and crept out, deciding that she had nothing better to do than come back into the office and try to clean up the mess that Lou had certainly left in preparation for Monday morning's creative meeting. The last person she wanted to see was Stan.

A knock on her door shook her out of her thoughts. Peggy padded across the office in her bare feet, pulling the door open and smiling at Stan's outreached hand, which held the cup of coffee she abandoned in the kitchen.

"A peace offering?"

Peggy took the cup in her hands, reveling in its warmth. "Thank you."

Stan gestured toward her couch. "Do you mind if I sit?" Peggy shrugged her response and he walked in, dropping onto her couch and putting his feet up on the table. "So you had a good night out with Ted, then?" Stan smirked.

Peggy shot him a glare from the door before sitting down behind her desk. "I didn't see Ted," she reconsidered her words, "I wasn't out with Ted."

Stan raised his eyebrows. "Come on, Peggy. It's just us. You can admit to me that he walked into the office and you hopped right into his bed."

Peggy raised her voice, "I absolutely did not…Don't you have something better to be doing? Or somewhere else to be?"

"Nothing as entertaining as this."

Peggy dropped her forehead onto her desk. She listened as Stan continued his jabs about her night.

"What is it about him, though? I mean, really. What does he have that, say, I don't. Or Don doesn't. Or Cutler for that matter?"

Stan stopped abruptly when Don appeared in the door, hat in his hands. Peggy sat up in her chair.

"Are we all working this weekend and no one invited me?"

Stan opened his mouth but Peggy cut him off. "No, just Stan and I. We're trying to get files together for you and Ted for Monday."

"I appreciate that." Don stepped into the office and placed Peggy's purse down on her desk. "I thought you might miss this."

Peggy snatched it off her desk and snuck a look at Stan, who's eyes darted from Peggy to Don and back. "Thank you. Are you staying or will we just see you…"

"Monday. I'll see you both on Monday," Don said cutting her off and heading for the door. "Stan." Don turned and Peggy and Stan sat, listening to his footsteps echo down the hall and out of the office.

Peggy busied herself with the papers on her desk, trying to find the folder with Lou's client list. Stan stared at her. Eventually Peggy looked up. "What?" she asked, annoyed.

Stan looked at Peggy, then toward the door. He didn't even know where to begin. "Draper? You're sleeping with Don?"

Peggy threw her hands up in the air. "Jesus, Stan. I'm not sleeping with anyone!" she lowered her voice, realizing how pathetic that had sounded. "I'm not sleeping with Don. Or Ted. Or anyone else in this office."

"And so he had your purse because…"

Peggy looked up at him and mockingly said, "Because I must have left it when I was leaving his apartment this morning. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Peggy smiled because, for the first time, Stan didn't have a witty comeback.

Stan took his feet off the table and slowly stood up. "I think I have the file that you're looking for in my office. I'll just go and check…"

Peggy leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. She closed her eyes and thought about the look that Ted had given her last night before he got in the elevator. Don was right. She didn't know what she wanted, but she knew that she was finished being miserable about him.


	5. Chapter 5

When Ted arrived in the office on Monday morning, he breezed straight past his secretary without a hello, dropped his jacket onto his chair, and went into Don's office for a creative meeting. Stan was waiting, scribbling on his portfolio, and Don was trying to clear some room on his newly reclaimed desk.

"Who are we still waiting for?" Ted asked as he sat down.

"Just Peggy, I think," Don offered.

Ted looked down at his watch. "I thought we said 9 a.m.?"

"We did—she was just prepping for a call with Burger Chef when I came over," Stan offered. "She said she'd be here in a minute."

On cue, Peggy walked into the office. "Good morning, sorry." She sat down next to Stan and flipped open her folder.

"Alright. Peggy, what do you have from Lou?" Don asked searching his desk for a pen.

She looked at her notes. "Well, you know about Burger Chef," she paused as Don open and closed drawers, mumbling under his breath. "Here," Peggy got up and handed Don her pen. "You can have mine."

Ted watched as Don smiled in appreciation. He tuned out the rest of the meeting until he heard, "that should do it. Peggy, lets meet after your Burger Chef call. Ted, anything to add?"

"Hmmm?" Ted looked up. "Oh, no. I think that clears up everything for now."

Peggy let Stan and Ted leave ahead of her before she left and closed Don's door. She saw Ted walk past Moira, ignoring her question, and into his office, slamming the door. She took a deep breath and crossed to his office.

"Can I go in?" Peggy asked Moira, who shrugged and nodded.

Peggy gently knocked on the door before turning the handle. Ted was already standing at his drink cart.

"Moira!" he barked out. "Find me some orange juice."

Peggy slipped into the office and closed the door behind her. Ted turned when he heard the door close. "Can you please find me some…" he looked up, glass in hand, and stopped short when he saw Peggy.

"Did you need something?"

Peggy was put off by his unexpectedly cold demeanor. "No, I just thought we should talk," she offered gently.

"I'm sorry, Peggy, now really isn't the best time." He crossed the office and put his hand on the doorknob. "From now on, if you need something or if you have a question about a client, I think it would be best if you go straight to Don."

"Ted, I…"

He met Peggy's confused look. "I'm sure that's what you're most comfortable with anyway."

Ted swung the door open and Peggy pushed it back closed, anger building inside her. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Ted massaged the bridge of his nose before looking back up at her. "It means that I hope that you'll be able to keep your personal life separate from what goes on in the office."

Peggy shook her head, not comprehending what Ted was saying. "What are you talking about?"

Any answer that Ted might have given was interrupted by Moira opening the door with a pitcher of orange juice. She apologized and hurried in and set the juice down.

"Thank you, Moira. It's fine. Peggy was just leaving." He held the door open for both of the women to leave and closed it behind them.

Peggy stood on the other side of the door, not comprehending what had just happened.

"Did you need something else, Miss Olsen?" Moira asked.

"I guess not," Peggy replied and walked away.


	6. Chapter 6

When Ted arrived at his hotel room that night, he found Peggy standing outside his door. He stopped and watched her, leaning back against the wall, checking her watch. As he approached, she looked up. He unlocked the door without a word, holding it open for her to walk in. As the door closed behind them, Ted turned to Peggy. "What are you doing here?"

Peggy put her hand up to stop him. "Don't. I decided that for once I get to be the person who makes decisions. You're going to listen to me and everything that I have to say before you get to say anything." Ted nodded. Peggy took a deep breath before continuing. "You hurt me. I have never in my life felt the way that I did when you told me you were going to California. That it would be for the best. Who are you to decide what I get to think and how I should feel? Every day I ask myself what would have happened if I wouldn't have encouraged you to go home. If I would have told you to stay. Would you have left your wife? Would you have taken me to Hawaii? Where would we be now? I can't imagine that, no matter how it turned out, I'd be as miserable as I have been. You made me feel awful—you used me, you made promises to me that you didn't keep. And you made me feel so stupid for believing that you would actually leave your wife, that you were actually in love with me. And now that you're back, you've done nothing but treat me like some dumb secretary. I don't think…I don't intend for things to go back to where they were. But we have to talk about this. We have to decide where we stand so that we can figure out a way to work together.

Ted didn't know how long he remained silent after Peggy stopped talking. Her words stung, but he kept repeating over and over in his head that she didn't intend to go back to what they were. He knew that he couldn't walk into the office and expect everything to be fine, but he hadn't thought about what would happen if she never took him back.

Ted moved to sit down on the bed, dropping his head into his hands. Peggy remained rooted in place, arms crossed over her chest.

When he looked up, Peggy saw tears in his eyes. "I didn't intend for it to be that way. I'm a coward. I got scared and I ran. I've never felt the same way about anyone as I did…do…about you. I've never connected on the level that I do with you. But the reality is that you can do so much better than me. You deserve a fresh start—someone that can give you all of themselves. Not a married man with kids."

"Stop it, Ted."

"Peggy, I'm serious."

"No, stop it. You're making decisions for me again. I'm the one who gets to decide who I fall in love with. I'm the one who gets to decide what kind of person I'm attracted to. You can't control that."

"Do you still love me?"

Peggy shook her head. "I don't know."

Ted nodded, the weight of what he had thrown away pressing down on him. "I don't blame you for being mad at me. I wouldn't blame you for hating me. I'd be devastated if I saw you fall in love with someone else. But I know that everything has been my fault.

Peggy was still furious with Ted, but being in that room with him, listening to him admit that he was still in love with her and that he'd been just as miserable made her want to run to him, to let him hold her and make the pain of the past year go away. But she knew she couldn't do this again, just to let her hopes be dashed. Ted stood and walked over to Peggy, loosely holding her hands in his. He looked directly into her eyes. "I left my wife, Peggy."

She didn't know how to respond. She had been wondering since Don mentioned it at dinner exactly what had happened, but she truly didn't know what him leaving Nan meant for them at this point. Before she had a chance to say anything, Ted threaded his right hand into her hair and pulled her mouth toward his. Her knees buckled the second their lips touched, and Ted moved his other arm to wrap around her back and steady her. She wanted to push him away, to tell him that he can't swoop in and expect her to be at his beck and call. But as Ted pulled her closer, a moan escaped her lips. She reached up and pushed his jacket off of his shoulders and tugged his shirt out of his pants, quickly unbuttoning it. She didn't know what she wanted, but she knew that she needed to feel Ted's skin pressed up against hers.

Ted was the first to pull away and step back. "I don't want it to be like this. I don't want…I just…" Ted searched for the words. "Can I take you to dinner tonight?"

Peggy was taken slightly aback. But she knew he was right. "Of course," she replied, standing up and reaching for her purse.


	7. Chapter 7

Peggy agreed to let Ted pick her up at her apartment in two hours. She had raced from his hotel room, still entirely conflicted about what she wanted or what she was doing. She stood in front of her closet, considering what to wear, trying to strike a balance between her desire to let Ted know what he had been missing and her fear that she'd be abandoned again. She settled on a light pink cocktail dress that wasn't too revealing, but still hugged her curves. She was just finishing zipping her dress when she heard a knock on the door. She knew it was too early for Ted to be there. Confused, she looked through her peephole and saw Don waiting on the other side.

"Did you need something?" she asked, pulling the door open.

Don walked past her into the apartment and held out a stack of envelopes. Peggy gently took them out of his hands, glancing down at the handwriting. "What are these?" she asked quietly.

"When Ted asked me if he could go to California, he told me that he had to do it to keep his family together. I knew how hurt you'd be, but I also knew that, for him, running wasn't the answer. I wanted you to be able to move on, to stop letting him do this to you. So when I was put on leave, Dawn was taking my calls and collecting my mail. I had her intercept letters that Ted was sending to you. This is everything that he sent."

"Why are you giving them to me now?" Part of Peggy was furious that Don had interfered, but the other part appreciated his concern, and knew that what he had done was right.

"Because I know that you're conflicted about what to do now that he's back. And I don't know what's in these letters, but maybe it can help you to understand what he did, or why he did it, and you can make a decision about where the two of you stand."

Peggy was silent for a second, turning the letters over in her hands. "Why do you care?" she asked, looking up.

Don shrugged. "You're ambitious and smart and kind and you deserve to be happy. I think you deserve better than him, but that's not my decision to make."

Peggy smiled. "I thought you said that you don't worry about me."

"I don't. I know that you can take care of yourself." He paused for a moment. "But sometimes I think that everyone needs a little help."

"Thank you. Really, I appreciate this."

Don nodded his understanding and looked Peggy up and down. "I assume you have plans, so I'll go." Don walked to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."


	8. Chapter 8

When Ted arrived to pick Peggy up, she had just started to read the letters in the stack Don delivered. She could sense the pain in his words; it was easy to see how unhappy he was. But she had been unhappy to, and he never seemed to acknowledge that. As she opened the door, Peggy was still clutching one of the letters in her hands.

Ted looked at it, and instantly realized what it was. "Peggy…I…"

"It's okay, Ted," she said with a slight smile. "I know that you regret what you did. I know that your time in California wasn't what you expected it to be and didn't work out like you had intended."

"Why didn't you ever respond?"

Peggy looked down at the letter, and weighed her options. Should she lie? Or tell him that she hadn't received them until today? "You have to understand that I was trying to move on. It didn't matter what you said, I had no reason to believe that you were coming back."

Ted nodded, and pulled Peggy close to him. "You have no idea how sorry I am. But I want to spend the rest of my life making it right." Ted pulled back and looked directly into Peggy's eyes. "I know that you've heard this all before. But it's different now. I'm here now. I'm getting divorced. There is nothing to stop us from being together. I want to marry you, Peggy, have a family with you. Spend every day reminding myself of how lucky I am that forgave me."

The last comment struck Peggy. She hadn't fully forgiven him yet, hadn't decided what they would be moving forward, but it sounded like Ted had already assumed that their relationship was a done deal. He was making decisions for her again. "Why don't we just see how tonight goes? Take it one step at a time?" Peggy smiled sweetly up at him.

"Of course." Ted knew that he needed to tread lightly to avoid pushing her away again. "Dinner?" he asked holding out his arm.

Peggy placed her hand on his arm and pulled her door closed.

Peggy had to admit as she sat across the table from Ted that there was something nice about having him back. Something comfortable and familiar that had been missing from her life. She smiled and laughed as he recounted stories from the California office, most of which had to do with Pete.

After dinner, the pair settled into a comfortable silence, each sipping their drinks. Ted reached across the table and took Peggy's hands. "I meant what I said earlier," Ted began. "I want to marry you."

Peggy shook her head. "Ted, you can't…"

"I know, now isn't the right time. I'm still married, and I know there are things that you want to work out. But I want you to know that I've never been more sure about anything in my life." Ted laughed. "Hell, Peggy. Even when you were ignoring me—rightfully so—while I was in California I couldn't get the thought of that off my mind. Of what it would be like to propose to you, to watch you walk down the aisle." Ted paused, deciding whether to tell her more. "I went ring shopping." He shook his head. "I know, it was stupid, and careless, and foolish. But there was something in me that knew that my move wasn't the end for us."

Peggy was taken aback at how honest he was being with her, how much he truly seemed to regret what had happened between them and how things had ended. She instantly began to wonder what was in the rest of the letters—had he admitted these things to her? Would she have been able to read between the lines and see what was going on? And what would she have done?

"I just don't want to rush into things. I think that we need to take time, after your divorce is final, to see how we fit together. Does that make sense?" Peggy met Ted's stare.

He squeezed her hands. "Of course it does. I hope that doesn't mean that we can't spend time together until everything is finalized with Nan."

Peggy hated to hear him say her name. "No, of course not. I just think that we shouldn't be parading around. And I don't think I'm ready to…"

Ted knew exactly what she was going to say. "I understand. It kills me, but I understand. You have no idea how many nights I laid awake on the couch in my office, remembering that night in your apartment, wishing that I would get the opportunity to do it all over again."

Peggy nodded slowly. The night conjured up so many mixed emotions for her.

"I respect what you said, Peggy. But would you like to come back to my hotel? Spend the night with me?"

She weighed her options before settling on "Yes, I would like that."

Ted paid the check and escorted Peggy out of the restaurant and back to his hotel.


	9. Chapter 9

Peggy impatiently tapped her foot as she rode the elevator. When the door opened, she hurried out, determined not to lose her nerve. She reached the door and knocked, fully aware that she could be waking the person, or people, inside.

Don swung the door open, dressed in boxers and a white t-shirt, concern etched on his face.

"I don't know what I'm doing here," Peggy blurted out, looking directly at Don. In one fluid motion, he stepped toward Peggy, leaned down and kissed her, and pulled her toward him and into his apartment, closing the door.

Once they were inside, Don pulled away, eyes wide and fearful at what he had just done. "I'm sorry, Peggy. I shouldn't…"

Confident in the decision she'd made, Peggy grabbed a handful of Don's shirt, pulling him toward her. "Bedroom. Now."

Peggy struggled to open her eyes against the sun streaming in through the curtains. She blinked rapidly, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. She was trying to recall the night before. She remembered Don coming to her apartment, remembered the letters, remembered having dinner with Ted...but there was something else. As she slowly sat up, Ted's shadow appeared, stepping out of the bathroom.

"You're awake," he said cheerfully. "I ordered us breakfast."

Peggy stared at him, remembering what it was that she had forgotten, but realizing that her encounter with Don must have been a dream.

"Peggy? Are you okay?" Ted rushed to her side, concerned.

"Fine," she said clearing her throat. "Just a strange dream."

Ted smiled, sitting down next to her and running his fingers through her hair. "Good. For a minute I was worried you were second guessing yourself. Second guessing us." The way Ted said it made Peggy realize that he was questioning her, trying to figure out whether she was feeling differently since their conversation at dinner.

Peggy shook her head. "No, no. Just…I should go. I need to get to the office. I don't want anyone to see us come in together."

Ted furrowed his brow. "Peggy, really? They talk already, let them keep talking. What does it matter to them if we're in love?"

She shrugged out of Ted's arms. "It's just that I don't want to be parading around in front of everyone until your divorce is final. I don't want to be that girl, Ted. You know that." Peggy tried to sound as convincing as possible as she gathered her clothes and headed to the bathroom.

Ted stayed seated on the bed, growing more confused by Peggy's demeanor, but willing to do whatever it took to keep her happy. "Of course, sure. Business as usual."


	10. Chapter 10

I did a lot of writing over the past few days, so I have tons of stuff waiting for me to edit and upload-I hope you are all continuing to enjoy and I welcome your feedback (especially as I try to decide which path Peggy is going down!)

Peggy walked out of the Waldorf, and turned toward the subway. She still had an extra outfit in her office, so she thought if she could just sneak in, she could change before anyone—particularly Stan—realized that she hadn't been home last night. As she approached the stairs to the train she stopped, turned abruptly and walked in the opposite direction. She covered the blocks swiftly, and nodded at the doorman as she entered the building. As she rode the elevator up to the penthouse, she had an odd sense of déjà vu. When the doors opened, she turned toward Don's apartment, pausing only briefly outside his door to collect herself before knocking.

Don opened the door while hastily buttoning his shirt. The stood in silence for a moment before Don spoke. "Do you want to come in?"

Peggy nodded and stepped inside as Don closed the door behind her. She looked around—she hadn't noticed last week how empty the apartment was without Megan's personal touches.

"Peggy?"

She turned around and met his questioning glance. "Why do you care so much about me? About what happens to me?"

Don smiled and shook his head. Only someone like Peggy Olson would knock on his door at 7am to ask him a question as ridiculous as that.

"I'm serious, Don."

Her growing irritation only served as more amusement. "Peggy, I told you. I think you're a good person. A person who deserves good things."

"But not like Ted?"

Don shook his head and began to walk toward the kitchen to pour himself a glass of juice. Peggy stayed rooted in place. "I told you what I thought, but I told you it isn't my decision to make. You're an adult, Peggy. You need to decide what you want. You're the only person who gets to decide whether he's good enough for you."

"But you don't think he is."

"Peggy, my opinion doesn't matter…"

"You think I deserve someone better," Peggy began walking toward the doorway to the kitchen where Don was now standing with a glass in his hand.

"Peggy. Listen to me," Don's voice grew louder and slightly more irritated. "It doesn't matter what I think."

"Answer the question." Peggy was now standing directly in front of Don, staring up at him and daring him to defy her.

Don rolled his head back, took a deep breath, and considered his options. "Fine. Alright. No, I don't think he's good enough for you. I think he's not at all what you think he is. I think that he's managed to get you to fall in love with him, break your heart, and then expects you to forgive him when his safe comfortable life doesn't work out like he thought it would. So, yes. I think you deserve someone better."

"Someone like you?"

"Peggy, that isn't what this is about."

"Don't you know that you're just like him? You are just like the person you're criticizing."

Don roughly sets his glass onto the counter and gestures around the room. "Do you think that I don't know that? Do you think that I don't look around every morning when I wake up and think about what a terrible husband I've been? But do you know what makes me better than him? I recognize that. I recognize that what I've hurt, what I've pushed away, what I've let go isn't coming back. I messed up, and I got what I deserved." Don stopped for a moment, looking around his apartment and then back at Peggy. "Do you want to know why I care? Because I don't want you to be Megan. Or Betty. I don't want to see you end up with someone who thinks that it's okay to toss you aside when he gets scared or when something new comes along. I care that you end up happy."

Peggy didn't know what she had expected coming to Don's apartment, but she knew it wasn't this. She hadn't anticipated that he would be so honest with her. She stood silently, chewing her lip, looking down at the floor. When she finally looked up, she met Don's eyes, and searched for some answer to all of her problems. His vulnerability in that moment stirred something in her. She stood up on her tiptoes and gently kissed his lips. She stepped back, sheepishly, suddenly very aware of what she had just done. As her mind raced, she hardly noticed Don lean down and kiss her, tenderly at first, but when Peggy parted her lips in response, he put his hands on her waist, and pulled her tightly to him. She let her hands drift up to his chest, then to his face, holding him in place. Peggy had no idea how long they stood there. She was entranced by the heat radiating from Don's body, the feel of his smooth skin under her fingertips, the smell of his cologne, and the way his hands stroked her back.

Don stepped back first, afraid that he had crossed the line. He locked eyes with Peggy.

"I should go," she said, backing toward the door.

Don wanted to say something, to apologize, to ask her to stay, but he remained silent, watching as she closed the door behind her. When she left, he put his hands on the counter, and hung his head.


	11. Chapter 11

Peggy slipped into her office unnoticed and closed the door. She saw that Ted's lights were still off, and breathed a sign of relief. As she stripped out of her dress and pulled on a skirt, she couldn't get the thought of Don out of her head. What was she thinking? What had she expected showing up at his apartment? Peggy shook her head, finished buttoning her blouse, and grabbed her makeup bag from her desk and headed into the bathroom.

Back in her office, Peggy was trying to busy herself to get her mind off the past 24 hours, but wasn't having any luck. She opened her door and walked to Stan's office, peaking inside. She was half surprised to see him there on time.

"Hey chief, what's up?" Stan smiled.

"Do you want to go get some coffee?"

Stan frowned out of concern. Peggy rarely asked him that, but he was intrigued. She told him the night before that she was going to confront Ted, and he was hoping that Peggy planned to let him in on the details. "Sure. You lead the way."

Peggy kept her head down as they walked to the elevator, fearful that someone would be able to see what had happened written all over her face. Stan watched Peggy's body language, and knew that something was going on. The elevator dinged and the doors opened, revealing Don and Roger. Peggy and Don exchanged a brief glance before she looked back toward the floor. "Morning," Don said, brushing past Stan.

Once they got inside and the elevator doors closed, Peggy breathed an audible sigh of relief. Stan pretended not to hear it, but he had to admit that he had never seen Peggy this on edge before.

They walked across the street to a diner and chose a corner booth. When the waitress arrived, Peggy ordered a coffee, and Stan ordered eggs and toast.

"You're making me nervous. What's going on?" Stan couldn't wait any longer to find out what had happened.

Peggy groaned and leaned back into the booth.

"Things didn't go well with Chaough last night?"

She shook her head, unsure of where to begin. "It's not about him."

Stan leaned forward, intrigued, as Peggy's coffee arrived. She picked up the mug and took a long drink, closing her eyes and collecting her thoughts.

"Peggy, what happened?" The tension was killing Stan.

"I saw Ted last night. We went to dinner. He kissed me…"

Stan leaned back, putting his hands up in front of him. "You can leave it at that, I can imagine the rest."

Peggy shook her head. "No. No. He did everything I expected him to…"

"No, Peggy, really, I don't need to hear this."

She was growing impatient. "Stop. He apologized, and told me he loved me, and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and would do anything to make me happy and make me stay with him…He said that he wanted to marry me, that he had even gone ring shopping in California."

"And you said…"

"I said that I wanted to take things slow. See how things work out. Try to have a normal relationship after his divorce is final. That I wasn't ready to completely forgive him yet."

Stan nodded. "Did you…"

Peggy interrupted. "I went back to his room." Stan raised his eyebrows. "We didn't. I spent the night."

Given Peggy's demeanor, Stan assumed there was more to the story. "Okay…"

Peggy took a deep breath. "But I had this really strange dream."

Stan was interested again, leaning in and smiling. "Was I there?" he chided. "Were you wearing that little black dress with the pink bow?" Stan wagged his eyebrows at her.

"Stop it," Peggy said sharply. "I'm being serious."

Stan leaned back, defensive. "I'm sorry, go on."

"It was about someone else. I…we…well..." she stammered.

Stan sat back, draping his arm across the back of the booth. "Peggy Olson, you're blushing. You had a sex dream. And you can't get it out of your mind." He smiled. "So, tell me, who was the lucky man?"

"Don."

Peggy blurted it out so fast that Stan didn't have a second to process the information. He shook his head and lowered his voice, leaning in toward Peggy. "You had a sex dream about Don? While you were lying in bed with Ted?" Peggy nodded.

Peggy drummed her fingers against the table. "I kissed him."

"You kissed Ted? You already said that." Peggy shook her head. "You kissed Don?" Peggy nodded. "In your dream?" Peggy shook her head again, closing her eyes tightly and holding her breath, afraid to see Stan's reaction. When she opened her eyes, Stan was staring at her, mouth agape. "When?" he managed to eek out. Suddenly Peggy's actions at the elevator began to make sense.

"This morning." Peggy dropped her head into her hands. "God Stan, I don't know what I did."

Stan absently reached down for a piece of toast that had gone cold. "How did you get from Ted's hotel room to kissing Don?"

Peggy took a deep breath. "When I woke up, my mind was racing from the dream. Don was at my apartment the night before, before I had dinner with Ted, to tell me that I deserved someone better. I didn't think twice about it. Then I saw Ted in the hotel room, and I couldn't stay there anymore. I left to go to the office, but that dream was nagging at me. So I walked to Don's apartment, knocked on the door, and asked him why he cared about me."

"And then you kissed him?"

"Then I kissed him."

Stan felt like everything was coming together. Peggy spending the night at Don's apartment. Don bringing in her purse. "What did he do?"

Peggy sat silently, looking across the table at Stan. He had lost his appetite and dropped the piece of toast. After years of working next to Peggy, her silence was all the answer he needed. He nodded. "Now what?"

Peggy shook her head. "I don't know. I left before he could say anything." Peggy sat silently for a few moments. "We should go back. We have a meeting." Stan winced at the idea of sitting in a room with Peggy, Don and Ted. He paid the bill and the walked back across the street. Before they walked into the lobby, Stan put his hand on Peggy's shoulder to stop her from going in. "He has feelings for you, Peggy. I don't know if they're platonic or not. And I know the two of you have a complicated, screwed up relationship. But he's not lying when he says he cares about you." Peggy nodded as Stan held the door open for her.


	12. Chapter 12

When Peggy left, Don thought about staying home for the rest of the day. It wasn't like it would be the first time he didn't bother to show up. But he knew they were pitching Folgers in a few days, and he wanted to be sure the team was prepared. That didn't stop him from canceling the morning meeting, though. He didn't have it in him to sit in a room with Peggy and Ted. He felt far more comfortable hiding behind his desk.

Don was leaned over Stan's Folgers' storyboards when he realized that he had been reading the same line for the past 30 minutes. He rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms over his head, threading his fingers together and placing them behind his head. His encounter with Peggy consumed his thoughts. Every inch of him knew that what he had done was wrong. That he had taken advantage of her vulnerability and uncertainty. But the longer he sat there the harder it became to resist marching down to her office and kissing her again. There was something about Peggy that he couldn't quite pinpoint. She was sexy in an untraditional way. She was in almost all ways his equal. The only person who was ever willing to stand up to him, to put him in his place. He needed her, but not in the way he had needed or wanted Megan or Betty or any of the other women he had been with. It wasn't a purely sexual desire. It was deeper.

Don stood up from his desk and walked down the hall to her office. As he approached, he heard Ted's voice and hung back to listen to their conversation.

"Can I take you to dinner tonight?" Ted asked lightly, approaching Peggy's desk.

Peggy looked up and sighed. "Ted, I can't. Not tonight."

"Is everything alright? You seemed out of sorts when you left this morning."

Peggy opened a notebook and began writing, in hopes that Ted would recognize that she was busy and leave. "It's nothing, I'm just trying to get this work done for the pitch this week."

"Of course," Ted nodded. "I know that you are a very busy young lady."

Out in the hallway, Don bristled at the comment, knowing Peggy would do the same. There was something about the way Ted spoke to her. It wasn't intentionally demeaning, but it certainly came across that way. He thought about his own conversations with Peggy and knew that he had made the mistake of doing the same thing early on.

"Do you want to stay over tonight?" Ted asked, trying not to sound too eager.

Peggy lowered her voice, and Don leaned closer to the door. "Ted, I told you. You can't do this in the office. I'm not going to be someone that everybody is gossiping about."

Don chuckled. There was something incredibly gratifying about seeing him put in his place. He decided to step into the office.

Peggy looked toward Don, grateful that he was there to get Ted out of her office, but nervous about what he might say.

"Peggy, a word?"

Peggy looked at Ted as she said, "Of course. I believe we're finished here. Ted?"

"Of course. I'll let you know if there is anything else I need." When he reached the door, Ted turned toward Don. "Do you need me to close this?"

Peggy looked up. "Yes."

Ted nodded and closed the door, momentarily reminded of seeing Peggy and Don sharing drinks the week before.

"What can I help you with?" Peggy said, turning her chair to face Don, and trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Don leaned up against her desk. "Did you take a look at Stan's storyboards?"

Peggy leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. "I did."

"And?"

"And I thought the tagline was bad. The art was good."

"It was Ted's line."

"I know."

Don stood and walked to Peggy's window, pouring them each a drink. He handed her a glass and took a sip from his own. "So what do you have that's better?"

Peggy thought for a moment, and took a drink. She saw Don watching her out of the corner of his eye. "What about 'Coffee: Not as good as booze, but warmer."

Don smiled, and it relaxed Peggy. _This is about work_, she thought to herself. _Maybe we can just ignore what happened this morning_. They pitched terrible ideas back and forth until Peggy could barely breathe she was laughing so hard. "What about….Coffee. Better than sex. Oh, no wait. Nevermind." Don tipped his head back and laughed. He smiled down at Peggy who was still seated. He had missed doing this with her, working with her and letting her be creative, even if it was just for fun.

They smiled at each other until Peggy's phone rang.

"Yes?"

"Is everything okay in there?" Stan asked on the other end of the line.

Peggy smiled. "It's fine. Just pitching some taglines to go with your storyboards."

"I thought you already saw Ted's."

"I did. Don and I are trying to come up with something better."

Stan chuckled and dropped his voice. "Oh I see what's going on. Look Peg, the walls are pretty thin…"

Peggy cut him off. "Goodbye, Stan." She put the receiver on the hook and stood up.

Don took that as his cue. "I should go." Peggy shrugged her shoulders and walked with Don to the door. She put her hand on the knob to open it, but Don pushed his hand against the door. Peggy's heart raced. They stood in silence for a moment until Don spoke. "Do you want to have dinner tonight?" Peggy stood motionless, not sure of how to respond. "We could finalize the Folgers presentation…and…" Don trailed off.

"Yes," Peggy said curtly. "That would be a good idea. Make sure that we have everything prepared," she was searching for the right words. "Look, Don. About earlier…"

Don leaned down close to Peggy's ear and whispered, "Tonight." His lips brushed her cheek as he straightened up, sending a chill down Peggy's spine. Don opened the door and walked out, leaving Peggy dumbfounded in the doorway.


	13. Chapter 13

_Thanks so much for all of the comments and for continuing to read! I have to add that I, too, am still a bit unsure about the Peggy/Don thing, but we'll see where it goes!_

* * *

Peggy left the office at lunch. She told her secretary that she wasn't feeling well, and hoped that neither Don nor Ted would ask after her. She wanted nothing more than to stand under a hot shower and think about what she was doing. She stripped out of her dress and let the water fall onto her face. Before this morning, she had never thought about Don as anything other than her colleague and friend. She knew they needed each other, that they fed off of each other. She wasn't immune to the fact that he was attractive, but she was never drawn to him like that—not like other women who had filtered through the office. She always cringed at the idea of people thinking that she had slept with Don to get to where she was. She didn't know what had changed, or why she was suddenly seeing something different in him. Frankly, she was well aware of how he treats women. But yet somehow she was confident that he wouldn't do the same to her. Don always had the upper hand in his relationships, but now, the playing field was level.

For the first time in a long time, as she got dressed for the night and fixed her hair and makeup, Peggy had butterflies in her stomach. She knew she shouldn't, that she really didn't even know what this was. Her thoughts momentarily flashed to Ted and the night he came to her apartment and told her that he was going to leave his wife—she had that same nervous excitement then as she did now. She paused for a moment as she picked her purse up and glanced at the unread letters from Ted still lying on her table. Having them renewed her feelings of bitterness toward him, which she knew wasn't fair given how hard he was trying since his return to New York. He may have hurt her, but he was trying to do the right thing for his family. Deep down, Peggy knew that she was doing the same thing to Ted. If he had any idea that she was on her way to Don's tonight, that she had kissed him this morning, he'd be devastated.

Peggy felt conflicted as she turned off the lights, stepped into the hallway, and locked the door behind her. She left her building and climbed inside a cab without noticing that Ted had just appeared on the sidewalk. He caught sight of her and hailed a cab, intent on finding out where she was going.

At first, Ted led himself to believe that she might be coming to his hotel to surprise him, that she had lied to her secretary about going home sick. But as the car sped uptown, his suspicion began to grow.

The cab pulled up outside Don's building and Peggy stepped out, straightening her dress. She walked in and said hello to the doorman before heading to the elevator. Ted pulled up alongside Don's building as well. As he watched Peggy walk in, he said to the driver, "I'm sorry. Can we go to the Waldorf?"

Peggy's nerves began to kick in as she approached Don's door, and she tried to remind herself that he was her friend, her colleague. Nothing was different. Don opened the door, a bottle of wine in his hand. When he saw Peggy, he realized that he had rarely seen her dressed up outside of the office, and she looked stunning.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course," Don said quietly, stepping back and closing the door behind them. He headed toward the kitchen and uncorked the wine. Peggy stood sheepishly near the door, afraid of what might happen if she stepped inside.

Don walked back out of the kitchen and set the wine on the dining room table. He noticed Peggy, who had yet to move, and approached her. Even as he crossed the room, Don was struggling to decide what he wanted to say.

"Peggy, I'm sorry. I was out of line. I don't know what came over me. If you want, we can just pretend like this never happened." Peggy nodded slowly, relieved that Don had brought the subject up first. He considered his next words carefully. "I meant what I said. I do care about you. I do think that Ted isn't the right person for you. But I also know that you are strong enough to make your own decisions." Peggy nodded again, still refusing to speak. "I'm sorry."

"I know," Peggy replied. "You already said that."

"Well, consider that one a future apology." Peggy began to question what Don said when he reached toward her and kissed her as hard as he could. Don threaded his fingers through her hair. Peggy stifled a moan as Don's lips slowly made their way down her neck.

Peggy stepped back quickly. He looked at her, confused. "I don't know what this is." She knew that she didn't need to explain what she meant.

"Neither do I," Don replied, his voice low.

"This isn't us, though, is it? We have boundaries, right? Rules?"

Don thought for a moment, watching as Peggy shifted her weight and bit her lip. "Maybe. But I'm willing to break them."

Peggy shook her head. "I can't get hurt again."

The rush of guilt Don felt earlier came back. "I don't want to hurt you…I don't intend to hurt you."

"But you know your track record isn't good, right?"

Don nodded. "I do. And I'm sure that I said the same thing to Megan."

Peggy was silent for a moment, wondering if she was just a rebound, a convenient way to fill the void.

"Ted wants to marry me."

Don sighed. "I'm not surprised by that."

Peggy searched for the right words. "But I don't know if I can give him any more chances."

Don stepped forward and held Peggy's hands in his. "Just give me one. That's all I'm asking for."

She contemplated his words, looking down at their hands, before meeting his gaze. She couldn't stop the questions from running through her head, but she silenced them with a nod. Despite her misgivings, Peggy realized that it was easy to be here with Don, comfortable. They knew each other on a level that no one else could understand.

When they kissed, Peggy let herself melt into Don's embrace. She felt confident in her decision. Truly happy for the first time in a long time.

Don pulled away with a smile and led her to the kitchen. As they ate, they exchanged thoughts about the Folgers pitch, about other potential clients, and then Peggy decided to tell him about her night with Ted and how she had arrived at Don's apartment. Part of her expected that he might be angry that she had all but slept with someone else before kissing him, but he listened, thoughtfully, and offered his advice again: that it was her decision. Everything was. If she decided she was happy with Ted, Don didn't intend to be the person to stand in the way of that.

After a few glasses of wine, Don pulled Peggy to her feet and turned the radio up, pulling her to him and slowly swaying back and forth in his living room. Peggy leaned into him. "This is easy."

Don nodded. "I don't get a lot of that in my relationships.

"So, this is a relationship?"

Don smiled. "I'm not sure what it is." He tipped Peggy's chin toward him and kissed her again. As he did, Don felt something that he hadn't in a long time. He was excited, he was happy, he didn't want that moment to end. There was something different about being there with Peggy. He had always been the person to control his relationships. To tell women what he wanted and when. But this was different. He knew he couldn't do that to Peggy, and he didn't want to. "I want you to spend the night with me."

"I want that too."

Don heard a question in her voice. "But…"

She sighed. "But I don't think it's a good idea. I think that both of us are too willing to do that when we find someone new. I just think that…"

"You're right," Don said, even though it killed him.

"You have no idea how much I want to stay here tonight," she said, sheepishly looking at her feet.

Don tilted her chin up to his. "The offer always stands." He leaned down and kissed her one last time before walking with her to the door.

"I'll see you in the morning," she said, before turning and walking out.


	14. Chapter 14

When Peggy arrived home, she found Ted sitting on her front stoop.

"What, you couldn't get someone to let you inside this time?" she quipped, unlocking her door and letting him follow her.

"Where were you?" Ted asked before she had closed the door.

"Out. Is this the way it's going to be, Ted? Am I going to be questioned about everything I do? Because if so…"

"You smell like him."

Peggy wheeled around from the table she set her purse on. "Excuse me?"

Ted was growing increasingly angry. "I said, you smell like him."

"Like who, Ted?"

"Like Don."

Peggy shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw you go into his apartment."

"You're spying on me?" she asked, dropping her arms to her sides.

"No, I came to see you, and I saw you getting into a cab, and I wanted to see what your plans were."

"That sounds an awful lot like spying to me."

Ted reached out to hold her hands, but she pulled them away. "Peggy, you've been so secretive lately, I feel like you don't share anything with me. And you've been spending a lot of time with Don…"

"So what is it that you want to ask me?" Peggy knew where this was going, and she wasn't in the mood.

"Are you sleeping with him?"

"Get out."

Ted shook his head. "What?"

"Get out, Ted. Just get out." Peggy walked toward the door and started to pull it open.

"Peggy, stop. I'm sorry. I just…I love you. You have no idea how much I love you and how much I've given up to be with you."

Peggy closed the door and crossed her arms across her chest. "Are you kidding me? Are you actually standing there and telling me that you are the one who made any kind of sacrifice? That you're the one who's been hurt? That you're the victim?"

Ted again moved to touch her arm, but she shrugged away. "That's not what I'm saying. I just want you to understand how much you mean to me…"

"You're not doing a very good job by following me around at night. I'm sorry, Ted. You have to go. I can't do this right now." Peggy pulled the door open. Ted considered protesting, but thought better of it, and left with his head hung low.

Peggy leaned back against the door. She closed her eyes briefly, but was startled out of her thoughts by the phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"Are you feeling okay?" Stan asked.

"Fine, why?"

"That's what I thought." Stan smirked on the other end of the phone. "So where did you go today?"

It took Peggy a minute to remember that she had lied about being sick. "Just home. I had some things to take care of."

Peggy heard Stan flick his lighter. "I've known you for a long time. And I have never once…okay once…seen you leave early. Who were you with? It couldn't have been Ted because he stopped by my office frantically looking for you." Stan puffed loudly.

"Can't you just accept that I might have things going on in my life other than work?"

"No."

"Stan, I'm tired. It's been a long night and I just want to go to bed…"

"Then just tell me what you were doing and I'll leave you alone."

Sometimes Peggy really hated Stan's ability to know when she was hiding something. "I had dinner with Don."

Peggy heard the couch shift as Stan sat up. "At one o'clock? I don't buy it….Wait a minute. You went home and spent the afternoon getting ready for a date with Don. Oh that's rich, Peggy. The last remaining lady finally falls into Don's trap."

"It's not like that Stan."

"Of course it is, we know exactly what he's like. He turns on the charm, pours you a drink, and bam. You end up in bed with him."

Peggy shook her head and considered hanging up.

"I'm taking your silence as confirmation that I'm exactly right."

"No, you aren't. For your information I didn't sleep with him."

Stan thought for a moment. "So let me get this straight. You got all dressed up for a date with Don. He wined and dined you, and then you came home."

"Right."

"Without sex?"

"Right."

"Shit, Peggy. They should make you partner for that."

Peggy laughed.

"So what about poor Teddy?"

Stan heard Peggy sigh loudly as she flopped down onto her couch. "He was here when I got home."

"Aww, the little lost puppy came to find his owner."

"He followed me to Don's."

"What?"

"I don't know. Something about he was coming to check on me, and he saw me leaving, so he followed me."

"That's messed up." Stan paused and popped a handful of chips into his mouth. "What did you say?" he said between bites.

"Not much, other than stop following me around."

Stan thought for a moment. "Did he ask you…"

"If I'm sleeping with Don? Yes, yes he did. And then he went on to explain that he's really sacrificed a lot to be with me."

Stan laughed loudly. "Oh Peggy, I hope you handed it to him."

"I kicked him out…I'm sorry, Stan. I really need to go to bed. Can we pick this up another time?"

"Of course. Just…I don't want to give you advice on your love life…"

"And I really don't want it," Peggy said, smiling.

"But think about what you're doing—with both of them."

"I know, Stan. I know. Goodnight."

"Night, chief."


	15. Chapter 15

Stan stuck his head into Peggy's office the next morning to make sure she was okay. As he opened his mouth to speak, they both heard a door slam followed by raised voices. They exchanged a glance before Peggy got up and looked into the hallway.

"What was that?"

Peggy shook her head, slowly walking down the hall in search of the noise. The office was still mostly empty, but those there had begun gathering in the halls, whispering to one another and looking toward Don's door. Peggy cautiously approached, with Stan close behind. As she did, she heard both Don's and Ted's voices. She swung Don's door open just as he was ducking a punch.

"You son of a bitch," Ted yelled lunging toward Don.

Peggy and Stan ran in, Peggy grabbing Ted's arm and pulling him back, while Stan put his arm up in front of Don. "Sit!" Peggy yelled to Don, then she turned to Ted. "What the hell are you doing?" She motioned to Stan to close the door.

"I see what he's doing, Peggy." Ted said, pointing at Don. "He isn't happy, and that means no one can be happy. He's the same person he's always been." Turning toward Don he added, "Now I know why you let me go to California, why you were so willing to stay here instead of leaving to be with your wife." Ted spit the last words out, hoping that they would hurt.

Stan looked from Peggy, to Don, to Ted, trying to get a handle on what was happening.

"I'm warning you, Ted. You were already on thin ice with the partners when you came back from California. I don't think you're helping your cause."

Ted again moved toward Don, but Stan stepped between them. "Don't lecture me. You have to learn that you can have everything…everyone…that you want." He looked at Peggy as he spoke. "You can't manipulate everyone the way you manipulate clients."

"Ted, I think you should go home. Sleep off whatever this is, and come back later."

Ted's frustration grew as Don became increasingly condescending. "You can't tell me what to do. You don't control everything, and it's time you learned that."

"You can't come in here smelling like you spent the night at a bar. And you can't throw punches in the office."

The door opened and Roger stepped in. "I figured I was missing some kind of party. The entire office is outside your door."

Don looked at Ted, daring him to say anything to Roger. When Ted remained silent, Don spoke. "We were just having a heated debate about a client. Ted's been in the office all night working on a pitch, so I told him to go home and clear his head."

Roger shrugged. "Sounds reasonable. You'll be back for the partner meeting this afternoon?"

Ted nodded, heading toward the door before turning back to look at Don. He opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it, and walked straight to the elevator.

"There's something about that guy," Roger commented, flopping down onto Don's couch, completely oblivious to the trio still in the office. Peggy and Don exchanged a long glance. Roger looked up, noticing that no one had moved or spoken in minutes. "What? Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Peggy said, looking away from Don. "Stan and I were just on our way out." She turned and walked out of the office, followed by Stan. He caught up to her as she walked into her office and he closed the door behind him, noting the stares from the secretaries who were beginning to disburse.

Peggy pulled a cigarette from her purse, and took a long drag. Stan sat down on her couch and propped his feet onto the table. Peggy sat down next to him.

"Did you want to talk about Folgers?" Stan asked, trying to break the tension.

Peggy cast him a sideways glance, indicating that she was not in the mood. "What was he thinking?"

"Probably that he's in love with you and that he isn't going down without a fight…literally."

Peggy rubbed her forehead with the heel of her hand. "He is behaving like a petulant child."

"I'm not trying to say that I like him or that I agree with him, but he does have a point."

She looked at Stan, prepared to argue, when she realized that he was right.

"I mean, to be fair, so do you. He was the one who decided to screw things up first."

Peggy nodded. "I should talk to him. How do I even start that conversation."

Stan thought for a moment, and had as few ideas as Peggy. "Well, I wouldn't start with the fact that you kissed Don." Peggy slapped Stan's arm. "Ouch."

"I'm going to find out where he went and see if I can track him down," Peggy said moving to the door.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Stan asked as he stepped into the hall.

"No. But I'm running out of options, especially if he's going to keep following me." Peggy took a deep breath and walked to Moira's desk.

Looking up, Moira said, "I'm sorry, Miss Olson, he's out. If you like, I can probably get him a message before his flight."

Peggy shook her head. "No, that's fine….wait, flight?"

"Mr. Chaough is flying to California this afternoon to see his family."

"Perfect. That's just fantastic," Peggy remarked, exasperated.

"I'm sorry, is there something I can help you with?"

She opened her mouth to make a snarky comment, but stopped short when she saw Don across the office. "No. No, this might actually work better…" Peggy's voice trailed off as she walked back toward her office, leaving Moira with a confused expression on her face.


End file.
